Friday, October 18, 2013

Project Kursk 23: 400 Point AAR

The battlefield from behind the Soviet defensive line

We played a 400 point game of Battle Group Kursk at the club at school last Thursday, which was also the first time we have used our spiffy new terrain boards that we spent all last term making. The Soviets had a very defensive Rifle Division force, with lots of dug in infantry, anti tank guns and a dug in KV1. In reserve, they could draw on a platoon of T-34s and another infantry platoon from the start of Turn 4. The Germans had an armoured car, a platoon of Panzergrenadiers in half tracks, four Pz IVs and some off-table mortars.

I was the Soviet Generalissimo, delegating command decisions to any other boys who were interested in joining in. The Germans tried to get stuck in early, charging up their halftracks with unsurprisingly bloody results. Despite losing three of their four halftracks they did manage to deploy all their infantry, concentrating all their firepower on the infantry and a 45mm A/T gun holding the Soviet left flank. Fortunately for the Soviets their reserves became available before the Germans broke through on the flank, so we called the game as a Soviet victory after the T-34s rolled up to massacre the German Panzergrenadiers that were exposed without armoured support.

The dug in KV-1 makes short work of a German halftrack

Another great of BGK that confirmed everything I like about the rules. Although there is a fair bit of flipping around the rulebook involved, I'm finding this easier and easier, and the rules for different types of firing (area, aimed fire with AP, aimed fire with HE etc) are becoming more natural. The opposed dice rolls and ability to give units reserve fire and reserve move orders mean that all players are engaged all the time, and it really is a very exciting game to play. The rules also reward historical tactics. When the Germans used firepower to try to pin the Soviet positions they had some success, but when they treated their vehicles like they were playing Warhammer, they got massacred.

Panzergrenadiers attempt to rush the Soviet left flank

Next week we are going to try to play a couple of 250 point games, which is probably more realistic in the hour and a half we have after school!

Nice Terrain Boards and scenario, how long did the game take? It would seem from your comment that 250points is more inkeeping with the time limit. Would you play 250points with just infantry on a smaller board?? I am really keen to see how this runs as I sort of felt that the small points means a really small break point and your force might retreat quite early if you pick up the wrong counters. Great Effort Alan Cheers Chris